#but i'm still very happy with how it came out

[yanderenightmare]

♡ TW: break-up, angst, hung-up yandere, anger issues, insecurity, threats to regrets

♡ GN reader

Thinking about pro-athlete ex-boyfriend… 

You know, the one you broke up with because he couldn't focus on anything but his career, the one you just couldn’t stand by and watch any longer as he nearly ran his health into the ground—not to mention your relationship—all to reach his goals.

He’d been so mean—meaner than you ever thought possible when you told him you couldn’t do this anymore—said it was a real class act of you to abandon him now when it mattered most. He’d made it about you not wanting a no-known sportsman for a boyfriend, how you never believed in him anyway, how you never cheered for him, how he thinks you don’t even want to see him succeed. 

He’d been so loud and so ugly you’d been in shock for weeks afterward, unable to wrap your head around it. You didn’t even dare tell anyone—feeling it was a beast of burden you ought to keep for yourself. Oddly enough, you felt that if anyone knew or saw him like that, it would be not just detrimental to him and his image but embarrassing for you both.

And you hadn't spoken to him since. At least not face-to-face. He’d sent you a few drunk texts then and there, which you’d replied to in short, though mostly ignored. You’d thought about blocking him at one point, but you didn’t want to be dramatic, either. And suppose, in some way, you were still waiting for an apology.

But months passed, and nothing like it ever came, and so, instead of being bitter, you accepted that was just how the two of you ended. And that was that. 

Still, it's a little awkward. You wonder if you should congratulate him on his rise in popularity, how he’s finally getting all those long hours spent training back in full—but somehow, you feel it would just sound petty coming from you. And so, you don’t bother.

He’s got other people in his life cheering him on now—he doesn’t need a measly text from his ex. No, it's better to leave it be, is what you think.

Which is why it’s surprising when you get the dinner invitation. 

And following the initial surprise, you don’t really know what to expect of it either. But you end up accepting—some part out of curiosity, wondering what he might want after all this time, and another part hopeful it was to finally address the awful break up so that the both of you could move on without it hanging heavy over your heads and hearts.

This, however, was the last thing you had in mind when sitting down with him for the first time in a long time.

“Will you marry me?”

Your whole body flares up with something reminiscent of the feeling when you trip and fall—that type of split burn that rushes through you from head to toe and then leaves you feeling cold all over. Heart in your throat, you’re speechless.

Or no, you just don’t know where to begin.

“What are you doing?” you end up accusing—a little too harshly, maybe, but who could blame you? Looking around, you’re glad your table’s in a more private sector of the restaurant before you look back at him, eyes wide and brows knit. 

“I–we broke up a year ago and haven’t seen each other since—and you’re—” Your eyes fall back to the thing in his hands. It’s an outrageous ring. “Asking me to marry you?”

He makes no move to withdraw the offer—keeping his hands where they are, on your side of the table. “You said yes to the dinner. That must mean something. I thought—”

“Yeah. It means that I still worry about you,” you say. “It doesn't mean–”

“I fought my way up. I’m finally at the top,” he cuts you off in earnest. “I’m the best, and the world finally knows it now–”

“I don't care about any of that,” you state, feeling it should have been something you told him from the very beginning. “I'm sorry. But I never cared about you being the best. I just wanted…”

You just wanted the two of you to be like other couples—together and happy. You just wanted that to be enough, but it never was for him.

“Never mind…” you end up saying. “I think I should go.”

You’re about to get up when his hand, suddenly around your wrist, tightens in a harsh grip.

“I don't think you understand,” he utters, voice lowered with a hint of a growl. “It’s either this ring or I bury you in rumors that won’t leave you a moment’s worth of peace.” 

You go stiff while looking back at him.

Did he just… did he just threaten you?

You blink. He's got that same warped expression you remember from the last time you saw him, that very odd look as if the guy you know has been switched out with someone entirely different.

Only this time, it just as quickly disappears, and he lets go of your wrist, quickly pulling his hand to himself.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that–I’m just—” he apologizes with a stutter, looking startled.

He puts his face in his hands. Then there's a sound—close to a sob.

“I’m just a mess without you.”

Goosebumps rise on the surface of your skin when hearing it. And swallowing thickly, you sit back down again, albeit a bit begrudgingly. But spotting how he trembles, you just can’t stop feeling sorry for him.

You sigh. “No, you’re not. You just…” Reaching across the table, you stroke his arm. “You just lose your head a little sometimes, that’s all.” 

He peaks up from his hands. A sheen under his eyes reflects the ceiling light, and your heart twists in your chest.

He really is a mess.

“But I know you…” you try smiling. “You were always destined for greatness.”

He takes your offered hand in his, stroking it, then sniffs, voice fluttering weakly, “Yeah, well…”

He keeps his head low, resting it in his other hand as if he just couldn't muster the strength to sit straight or even attempt to pull himself together.

“If I'm such a great guy, why wouldn’t you stay?”

He sounds as if he’s been holding things back for the entirety of the year since you left. Broken now... it's all spilling out.

“Because," you start, even though your throat’s tight and you’re fighting back tears of your own, your mind hasn’t changed.

You didn’t come here to get back together. 

"You want to go places, I just can’t follow.”

♡ BNHA – Bakugou, Dabi, Hawks, Enji ♡ JJK – Sukuna, Geto, Gojo, Naoya ♡ HQ – Kageyama, Oikawa, Sakusa, Miya twins ♡ CSM – Aki ♡ BLLK – Reo, Isagi, Rin, Sae, Yukimiya, Karasu, Shido ♡ AOT – Eren ♡ DS – Akaza, Sanemi ♡ WB – Sakura, Suo, Kaji

♡ FEM x M INSERT masterlist ♡ GN x M INSERT masterlist

[dizzyditzblitz]

' Invited ' | Chp. 2

Shadow Milk x Fem!Reader (please understand from here on out i dont proofread 😭 i literally just write all of this in one go)

went a very different direction because I'm finishing this after the sage of truth costume came out and it makes me emotional

fluffy angst

After the kingdom found out, although it was painfully obvious, Shadow Milk was here, the cookies staying at Y/N's castle had become restless.

There was this Beast Cookie in their kingdom. Near their homes. Especially after the damage Shadow Milk did to Y/N and not to mention Pure Vanilla? Why was he here? Was he here to crumble the queen?

Pure Vanilla had also found out, although he found out via the fact he ran into Y/N walking with Shadow Milk throughout the town.

His heart dropped, but he attempted to recollect himself. Pure Vanilla beelined, his steps light. It didn't take long for him to finally catch up to Y/N and Shadow Milk,

" Y/N Cookie! " Vanilla chirped out, masking his deep concern with a smile,

Shadow Milk was the first to look over, Y/N following suit. Y/N stared at Pure Vanilla, trying to equally play it cool,

" Hey, " Y/N responded, clearly nervous about what Pure Vanilla was to say,

" Might I ask what you have there? " Vanilla implored,

Y/N glanced at Shadow Milk before averted her eyes elsewhere,

" I just want to talk to him, " She finally murmured,

Pure Vanilla blinked, his eyes finally opening to stare at the two. His other half holding hand-in-hand with Y/N. It wasn't jealousy in his heart— it was fear.

Pure Vanilla's hand had been gripping his staff, clearly on edge. Yet when Y/N finally looked at Pure Vanilla, Vanilla softened just a smidge. His mind kept asking why, but he wanted to trust Y/N. And he did; but his distrust for Shadow Milk was far greater..

Yet, Shadow Milk himself had actually been quiet during their whole conversation. It was a rare moment. Shadow Milk still felt Y/N's trembles whilst they held hands; he also felt Pure Vanilla's eyes burn right through him.

Shadow Milk's expression was unreadable, but he was growing furious. Why was he feeling so small? How dare Pure Vanilla crumble him with just a glare? And why was his heart hurting? Shadow Milk knew the pricks of pain in his heart, but he refused to acknowledge it.

All of their minds were ticking, like a three-way draw. Y/N finally broke the silence with a soft sigh,

" I'll be okay, " She finally reassured Pure Vanilla, her tone quiet yet convicted,

Pure Vanilla frowned a bit but relented gently,

" Alright.. " He sighed, giving Y/N a slightly forced smile,

" And— " Y/N abruptly started, seeming sheepish, " Can- can you try and soothe the town? Please? " She begged, " You're really good at that.. " She mumbled in a pout,

Pure Vanilla couldn't help but laugh a little at her pout. 'What a mess she is' he thought to himself,

" Of course, " He assured,

" Thank you, " She smiled gently, watching Vanilla turn with a wave.

Y/N let out a heavy sigh, now looking at Shadow Milk. Apparently, he had been brewing silently in his own mental turmoil throughout the majority of that conversation.

" Shadow Milk..? " Y/N hesitantly called out,

Shadow Milk's eyes widened a bit before snapping over to Y/N's eyes. It was unnerving how quick and wide-eyed he was..

But when he finally returned to reality, surprisingly, he softened. Shadow Milk stared at Y/N. Both looked tired.. especially emotionally. He looked down, realizing she still had his hand. He had to fight the urge to give Y/N's hand a squeeze..

The silence continued, and Y/N kept returning the shared stare. And she noticed something. She noticed vulnerability. A grief that eroded a once warm and happy heart.

The weight of what she noticed in Shadow Milk's eyes finally cracked her. Y/N's hand squeezed his hand as if she was trying to convey a planetary weight of emotions. She broke down, her tears pouring and sobs of everything hitting her all at once..

Shadow Milk jumped a bit at the sudden grip and her tearful display. He usually would mock tears, relish in the dramatic display, and laugh. But his thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar drip of his own tears,

He felt his breath hitch, staring at Y/N having a breakdown. Hesitating for a few moments.. Shadow Milk caved and pulled Y/N into a hug.

It was strange. It was bizarre. Especially since Y/N clung to him and returned the hug. Her and Shadow Milk wept in unison, both holding onto one as if in fear the other would vanish.

It was exposure therapy to Y/N but also therapy all around to Shadow Milk and Y/N,

Shadow Milk's knees finally gave out, falling down onto his rear, taking Y/N with him. He essentially kept her snugged close in between his knees, like a big plush toy, his tears not letting up; his frilled collar even seemed to droop a bit due to the tears,

Y/N's hands had clawed and balled up fists of fabric from his clothes, her own tears slowly letting up. Her breathing hitched rapidly with each breath. Slowly, she adjusted her head and rested her chin on his shoulder..

Y/N leaned her head against his, her eyes closing as she felt herself tear up again, listening to Shadow Milk cry.. feeling his entire frame tremor.. She let out a heavy and shaky sigh..

" I never wanted to be like this.. " Shadow Milk finally started, his voice very unsteady,

Y/N gave a confused frown, gently pulling back to look at Shadow Milk, his hair disarray and tears never-ending,

" I didn't want to hurt other cookies.. I never asked for the responsibility! " He exclaimed, his voice cracking,

Y/N jumped a little at the display. This was so far, so-so-so far from the Shadow Milk whose ego was bustling like the sun. This was a cookie. A cookie's life who was robbed from them..

Y/N couldn't help but softly cry again, instinctively cupping his face,

Shadow Milk flinched, pulling away, wide-eyed and deeply suspicious. But when he saw her sincerity, Shadow Milk couldn't help but sob again and slowly lay his head in her hands,

" I—I wanted to say..to say yes.. " He mumbled through tears, " To— to be friends... " He finally admitted, strained,

Y/N listened to him vent, feeling his head in her hands and her thumbs brushing away his tears,

" I'm so tired... of being alone... watching everyone from afar.. " He whispered, slowly falling silent again as his tears slowly slowed down..

Shadow Milk lifted his head to look at Y/N, his own sniffles and hitched breaths filling the silence.

Y/N stared up at him, but she was met with Shadow Milk leaning down and bumping his forehead with her own, gently.

Shadow Milk and Y/N found their heads on the other's shoulder, their heads leaning against one another,

" ...I'm sorry I hurt you... " He whispered, his voice only loud enough for her to hear, " and your friends.. " Shadow Milk mumbled,

Y/N's gave a small noise, signaling she heard him whilst her arms slowly went around and began to hug Shadow Milk again,

" It's not okay.. " She started, which prompted a shift of discomfort from Shadow Milk,

" But I don't hate you... " Y/N concluded, hiding her face in his shoulder, " I can't bring myself to hate someone who just wanted company... " She hushed,

Shadow Milk softened in relief. It was his turn to listen and listen he did,

" Your actions were awful.. " Y/N continued, slowly pulling from the hug and sitting back on her calves and knees, " I'm not happy you hurt my friends and myself.. " She continued,

Shadow Milk gave a small nod, understanding the vast depths of his actions. The games. The lies. The toying with essentially everyone and everything. He became a little more saddened, jumping to the conclusion he would be shunned away,

" But I believe everyone can have a path to redemption.. " Y/N added, her voice now soft after the tears finally left,

This response prompted a look of surprise from Shadow Milk, staring at her to look for any deceit.. yet he saw none..

Shadow Milk lifted his own hand and began to gently cup one of Y/N's cheek. He stared at her, the silence slowly swelling again,

Y/N softened further, now leaning her own head into his palm,

" It's going to take some time to repair things.. but I wanna try.. " She confessed,

Shadow Milk gave a nod, pulling Y/N back into a hug, practically engulfing her. The hug seemed to last a while... the atmosphere slowly easing off weight..

[merakiui]

I'm so happy, Outdoorsman Jade came home in 40 pulls!

He has a homescreen line I'm convinced was mistranslated. He asks if you would care to read his activity journal, but his surprised look suggests you asked to read it. I had about a second of "oh that's cute!" over his smile before he grinned and asked us to "try to read it with an open mind" -_-; Jade how many people have you buried during your outings. I mean I'll still join you, I just want to know if I should update my will first.

YAAAYY!! Congrats on bringing him home~ 🎉🎉

Jade with his suspicious activity log…… >_< what dubious mischief do you get up to on your solo excursions, Mr. Jade!!! I like to imagine if you flip to the pages where you’ve accompanied him on trips there will be entries ranging from his giggly, childlike wonder to absolute derangement. Like such:

LOG 1 - purposefully neglected to bring a second sleeping bag for (Name). I do hope they’re keen on sharing. It’s important to conserve body temperature in colder environments. I will offer my warmth in many ways.

LOG 5 - (Name) smells especially sweet today… I wonder if it’s a new scent. I should buy it for myself.

LOG 11 - told scary story before bed; planning to spook (Name). A knife is a far scarier threat than that of the unknown. :)

LOG 17 - (Name) asked me why I enjoy the woods and I gave my answer. They looked at me strangely, as if not having expected something so earnest. Should I have said this terrain is convenient for concealing crime instead?

LOG 21 - (Name)’s hand brushed mine while we were setting up camp!!!!! >w< kyaaaaa!!

LOG 34 - was put in charge of gathering food for today’s lunch. (Name) watched me hunt. I hope I was an impressive sight, a display of perfect strength, all for (Name). Even I’m capable of bringing in bountiful feasts when I give my best effort. I’m very reliable. Another lovely quality in a promising mate, you’ll see.

T_T he’s such a loser… is it not humiliating to have these entires read by his own crush??? But because Jade is himself, he lives for this thrill. Absolute masochist…

[lexicrvg]

On a random night in 1989, Ice and Mav have a fight about their future together. Ice wants to quit the navy and love Mav in all the ways he deserves, out and proud, but Maverick doesn't let him. He knows Ice wants to climb through the ranks and get stars on his shoulder, he can't be the reason Ice misses this.

That night, they broke up. Ice couldn't bear be with someone who didn't love him just as much as he loves them, and Maverick couldn't tell Ice he wouldn't give up flying for him.

Ice quits the navy. He would've done it with or without Maverick.

30+ years go by, and their lives haven't even once crossed paths, not even at Slider's wedding nor Sundown's funeral. It seems like the universe had separate plans for them, and it stuck this way.

(They were at both of these events, but Wolfman was in charge of "Not let Mav and Tom see each other" and he always aces a task)

Until Wolf's retirement party, that is. With him being the center of attention, he gives Hollywood the most important task of his life, Wood have other plans tho, he's very easily distracted by his husband's beautiful smile and when they're least expecting it...

"Hey" Maverick says, sitting on the bar, side by side with Tom.

"Pete!" Tom opens a big smile "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, right." Mav takes a pause, looking at the other up and down. "You look great"

And he did. Being away from the navy must've given Tom 10 years of his life back.

"You look exactly the same," Tom laughs. "Like, scarily so."

Pete laughs with him, although the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. In just 2 minutes, between seeing Tom from across the room and engaging in conversation with him, Mav noticed he seems... happy.

"I think I've been time traveling in those jets," he jokes, and Tom laughs. Again.

Tom didn't have such an easy smile back then. It rubs on Maverick the wrong way.

"How have you been?" Tom asks, after taking a sip of his vodka.

Maverick did not have a good answer to that question. Miserable? Missing you every day of my life? Discharged?

"Good" it's what he settles for. "You?"

Something in Tom's eyes twitches, like he's well aware Maverick's lying to his face, he says nothing about it, and Mav doesn't give him a chance to. He spots the ring on Tom's finger and, before he can help himself, he asks:

"What's her name?" Earning yet another laugh from Tom.

"I know it's been a while, but I'm sure you remember I'm not particularly interested in women." Tom plays with his ring and adds: "His name is Grant, and he's..." Tom searches for something in the room, then points. "... right there."

Against his better judgment, Mav turns to see where Tom's pointing. He regrets it immediately. Grant is gorgeous.

He's the exact opposite of Pete. For starters, he's tall, taller than Ice, taller than Slider whom he's talking excitedly with. Grant's hair is silver, and he carries a smile that would make Mav swoon if the situation was any different.

"We met in 2001" Tom continues, smiling lovingly at his partner. "Got married in 2016, and..."

"And...?"

"Our kid came to our lives in 2019. She just turned 10."

Maverick feels like he's going to throw up. Husband and daughter. Tom had both a husband and a daughter while Pete was still in weird terms with Bradley and as single as he's ever been. It wasn't fair. He was the one who didn't want Tom and now... Now, Tom has been living a happy life with a family he could only dream of when he was in the navy, and Pete still held onto a tiny bit of hope that he would get Ice back.

It wasn't fair. Not at all. He might die of regret.

"Listen, I gotta go to the restroom, " Ice said, getting up. "You stay here! I'll be back. We have a lot of catch-up to do, " and walked away.

Mav downed the rest of Tom's drink in one go, very disappointedly realizing it was water and not vodka.

"Hey, shortstack!" comes from Ron Kerner, looking a bit tipsy, bringing Grant on his arm. "I want you to meet my dear friend, Grant!"

"Yeah, I..."

"Grant, this is Pete Mitchell, Tom's wingmen" hearing Slider refer to him as Ice's wingmen did something weird to Mav's heart. "Mav, this is Grant Kazansky, he's..."

"Ice's husband, yeah, I heard."

Both Slider and Grant giggle at this. Grown man. Giggling. "He hates being called Ice nowadays," Grant explains. "He says Iceman is someone who should stay in the past."

"Sorry, old habits." Mav opens an awkward smile.

"Can I get you a drink?" Grant offers. "Something stronger than Tom's water."

"I thought it was vodka." Mav murmurs.

Already gesturing to the bartender to bring a drink, Grant says: "He stopped drinking when our princess came to our lives."

"And yet I'm her contact emergency" Slider interrupts.

"Because you let her eat ice cream before dinner!"

And isn't this nice? Maverick thought to himself. Him, his biggest love's husband and fucking Ron Kerner all sitting together and having a nice chat!

Before he could actually throw up in front of these people, he excused himself and went to get some fresh air.

Not even 5 minutes go by before someone sits down besides him on the sidewalk.

"He talked about you." Grant says, offering Mav a glass of something that might be whiskey — or apple juice, you never know.

"Good things, I hope." Mav says, taking the glass.

Grant snorts, but doesn't answer. Awkward silence rovers between them.

"Do you love him?" Pete asks, breaking it.

Without missing a beat, Grant answers: "More than I ever loved anyone."

Something twists in Mav's stomach, but he ignores it.

"That's good. He only deserves good things."

But it went without saying. Grant knew Tom deserved only good things, hell, Ice knew it. He would never settle for less than he deserves, and that's why he's with Grant and not Maverick.

"He's lucky to have you," Pete finishes, swallowing the bitter taste the words leave in his mouth.

"I'm lucky to have him." After a beat of awkward silence, Grant adds: "You should come by to dinner."

Mav must've heard it wrong, so he waits for Grant to correct himself. It never comes.

"What?"

"Dinner at our place," Grant explains. "He'd love to get you back in his life, he treasures his friends a lot."

Friends. Right. That's what they are. No.

"We haven't been friends in a long time," not since 1986, he lefts unsaid, since we started dating.

Grant seems to think about it, then decides, "Now it's a good time to reconect. Enjoy your drink."

Then he walks back into the bar, leaving Mav and his thoughts alone.

It all seems a bit crazy for him. Ice — sorry, Tom — has a husband. And they've been together for more than twenty years. A husband who loves him dearly and isn't afraid to say so. A husband who goes to navy events just to celebrate Tom's old friends. A husband who looks like could and would kill anyone who did Tom wrong. A husband who sat down with Tom's ex and invited him to dinner just because.

Pete thinks he should accept the offer. Just to see what Tom's been up to and meet his daughter, would she like him? Would she call him "Uncle Mav"? He should call Slider and check on what to wear and say...

Oh. He doesn't know what to say around Tom. They're strangers now. The man who he once shared a house, a bed, a life, and a heart with is now a stranger to him.

The realization does something to him, something very bad. He takes a sip of his drink and decides this day could not get any worse.

Huh. Whiskey. A good one. At least Grant knows his liquor.

[alien-star88]

🎉🥳Happy birthday to me ! I'm officially 15 !🎉🥳

Im still processing the fact 2024 was 3 months ago. And how I still feel 13 . Fuck im getting old. I know I'm 15 now but in the next 5 years I'll be 20... it's not a long time if you think about it !

I wanna make this post a bit long , just to thank people here , on Tumblr (Before I vanish again to finish my projects and shit) for their support and for the inspiration, and the motivation they have given me these past few months. Why , because I just wanna thank them for the time I've being here on tumblr , a lot of them have nelped me with my anxiety when posting here on Tumblr:

@itz-miss-kamilyvision

My first moot . When I first joined tumblr , I saw your SMG4 art , and I saw you as , like a celebrity of the Fandom here on Tumblr. You were the first person to send an ask to Demon Puzzles, and that holds a very big and special place to my heart . Thank you .

@runrabitrunrunrun

Your support with my ocs and my au has played a special part for me , giving me motivation to draw. Speaking of drawing ! I was honestly shocked when I saw you draw in FlipaClip , cuz HOW! Your oc , Nicknack has such a unique design , and her lore is very well planned ! I love your artstyle too ! It's very squishy !

@sauceytwinkietwinkling

Your support has also done a lot! I also saw you as a big part of the Fandom. So I was shocked that you followed me ! Your oc,Ugatha, brought me a lot of comfort at times !

@kymera-that-does-stuff

Your reblogs have brought laughs to me , and also awareness with certain things, as well as comfort , knowing not everyone here is rude . And your art has always fascinated me !

@niranutcake

I know we haven't talked much , but your support to me has also meant a lot . And I thank you for that ! Your oc is very cute ! Simple , yet expressive!

@4thwallbreakerdraws2

Imma be Hella honest . When I saw you like posts that didn't involve Demon Puzzles , I lost it (In a good way!) I also saw you as a celebrity in the SMG4 Fandom! RTV was one of the first AUs I saw, here on Tumblr!

@jovialoddity

Thank you . That's all I'm gonna say . Thank you for a lot . I know I've said it before . And sorry if I tag you a lot , you've inspired me a lot as a young artist .Labyrinth and The Lost Boys will forever be my favorite movies. You will forever be my number 1 favorite artist!

@fenicearts420

When I saw you loved HTTYD I freaked out ! I loved the movies and the series ! I thought the Fandom was dead completely! But nope , it's not! I'm glad we both freaking love HTTYD . And I thank you for your support as well . Seriously Thank you .

Thank you everyone for everything! Seriously, it means a lot to me . I came to tumblr not expecting my art and au to pop off. Yall are awesome, and im glad i saw you guys here on Tumblr. 👽💙💚

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

Now that I've slept on things and the high from the Reruns announcement is out of my system I gotta say... I can't be excited about this. All I see now is yet more proof of Paperfold's greed and their lack of care for their players, as well as for the longevity of LADS.

I don't want to be a party pooper. Truly, I don't. I want to be unreservedly pumped and happy about this. As someone who came relatively late to the game, Reruns are something I've prayed for since late October when I ordered my Tablet specifically to play LADS (yes, that's how much of a Sylus simp I am). But this is not the way to go about it, imo. It's a slap in the face to F2Players and low spenders, as well as to those of us who spend a fair amount.

Just think about it. Assuming the rerun banners will have the same pity system as the regular banners, we'll need 140 wishes to be guaranteed the card we want. Now run that banner alongside a new banner, and in worse case scenario you'll need to cough up 280 wishes, in the span of a week or two. That's a lot of dias/money. And now imagine you want to rank them up...💀

And the company does this whilst giving us no additional ways to farm dias. It's a fact that at present we don't have ways to grind dias or mats regardless of whether you spend money or no. Orbits and abyssal chaos are finite. SHC is the one renewable source of dias we have and as we all know SHC is hard as shit. Especially if you main Sylus or Caleb b/c they just do not have enough cards nor Stellactrum. In Sylus' case, his one yellow four star was locked behind a paywall in the form of a Promise card, which is now no longer obtainable. As for red, he only has one. Single. Card. That's it. So basically, you will need to brute force with him not only in SHC but in Orbits which require tons of mats and stamina. Leveling up one card in this game is hella time consuming and hella expensive. Same goes for protocores. Those are also expensive af to level up.

So what I'm saying is that the game is now throwing additional banners at us whilst giving us no way of keeping up which is a HUGE issue. Hell, we can barely keep up as is. This is not conducive for longevity. The moment a competitor comes out, one with equally pretty graphics and appealing LIs, a lot of people are going to migrate to it. Because why stay with a game that does not care about its playerbase? That does not give you ways to grind or keep up? That does not even communicate with us?

And don't come at me with "Is this your first gacha?" It's a moot point. What I've written above still stands: we aren't given enough resources. Not even the bare minimum. That's a fact. And look, neither I nor anyone else is saying that this game should be free, or that F2Players should be able to obtain every single card of every single LI. Of course not. But I truly do believe that obtaining every card of your favorite LI is not unreasonable. Paperfold would not lose out on it. Whales are gonna whale anyway, and those who want to increase affinity will go for R1 or above of their fave LI regardless.

The thing is, Paperfold make tons of money. They're not a small fresh on their feet indie company. They are a multimillion company. They can afford to be more generous to their players. They can afford to give us more resources and additional ways to grind. But they do not. Because they are greedy and they do not care enough about us to even give us the bare minimum in return for all the time, money, and free marketing we give them. It's as simple as that.

(Note that when I speak negatively about Paperfold it is always directed at the execs, management team, CEO etc. The devs and the writers are amazing and deserve nothing but love and praise)

So yeah. I feel very sad and disappointed by this, especially so b/c Reruns were one of my biggest wishes for this game. But the issues and greed are too blatant for me to ignore :/

[ask-postcrash-curly]

Ring ring, dear. Hello? Kind Words.

So...! Kestrel and I had our talk. It was not a very long talk, but that hardly mattered to me - I was just so happy to hear his voice again. I couldn't stay upset with him, no matter how hard I tried to be. He sounded so troubled... he told me how guilty he felt that he had been ignoring me, and truly hadn't meant to let it go on for so long. I do believe him; he has always had an irksome habit of putting things off until they can no longer be ignored. I suppose this was no exception, either. He did apologize, though he still seemed a bit... hrmm. Hesitant?

But he did say that once spring break came around, he would fly back home to visit again! I am so excited to see him! I'm going to squeeze him until he pops, too. There was something else he said, too, but, oh, I must have missed it; to be quite honest, it was a bit difficult to focus on the conversation at that point. My mind was just buzzing with thoughts of how I am going to tell him all about you! I would have then, but I feel it would be best to do it in person, yes? Perhaps by then we can figure out a way for him to hear you in his head, too! Ahaha!

Oh, it's so funny... when Kestrel was young, he was always jealous of his friends whom had siblings. I remember the few birthdays where he would beg me for nothing else but a little brother or sister, and I always dreaded having to disappoint him so! But it was not like I could manifest another baby out of the air myself, hahaha! Of course, he eventually figured that out...

Silly... I do still think of Sebastian on occasion - Kestrel's father. But I think I just miss his handsome face more than anything else. I was nineteen, still doing ballet when we met, though I was far from the best in my class. Still, he was quite drawn to my dancing... unfortunately, I had to quit once I found out I was pregnant. And then he wanted me to move to Europe with him - Europe! It was an utterly terrifying thought, uprooting myself like that. I couldn't bear to just leave everything behind, especially my mom... but I suppose he must have felt the same way, and left me instead. At least I had Mom, and Rebh, then... I got over him eventually. And he did give me Kestrel in the end, so I could not stay upset with him forever. I do wonder if he still thinks of us sometimes, too.

Oh, listen to me getting sentimental again... Did you ever think about having a family of your own at any point? (Besides the Curlings, haha!) I will admit, I do hope Kestrel has his own fledglings one day - when he is ready, of course. I would never want to push on him what happened with Sebastian and I. He is still in school, after all! Did I ever tell you he is majoring in environmental studies? I believe his girlfriend is in a similar field, as well! I am very proud of the both of them. And you too, of course. That has never changed.

...

I... do hope all of my excited blithering to you has assuaged some of your fears, dear. I did hear that, you know? It... broke my heart. I would never dream of doing such a thing to you. (And if I did, it would be yet another nightmare for me.) But that is like saying a mother can only ever love one child... it is like what Rebh said about me all over again, all those years ago... but that is simply not true. (R-right? It isn't true. I know how to love someone. I do...) I would not be here now if I did not intend to be here forever. Or, at the very least, as long as you want me to be here...

And I want to talk to you, sweet pea. I want to share my stories with you. I want you to share parts of your life, too. I want to meet you when you are safe and sound, and I want you to meet Kestrel too, and I wish so badly that you could have met my mom. I want to make you peanut butter sandwiches and watch The Wizard of Oz together. I want to keep telling you about the birds. All of them. The hawks and the pigeons and the owls and the scissor-tailed flycatchers.

And I don't want you to ever stop calling me Mum. It is everything to me. Please?

Oh thank God

Hello!!

Ah, yeah, makes sense. The longer you wait, the harder it is to start! Glad it more or less worked out between you two.

Oh, good, good. Yeah no, probably better in person. Hopefully easier to convince him you've not gone bonkers that way, yeah? Hah. In his head? Wouldn't want to impose or anything.

Pfft. I don't think I could be much of a little sibling, even with my somewhat lacking height at the moment.

You did ballet? From what I've heard, that's not easy. Even if you say you weren't the best, I'll bet you were pretty good! Sorry to hear you had to quit. Still, I know all about uprooting yourself between Europe and North America. Mine just... happened to be in the other direction. It's tough. Don't blame you for not wanting to. If I'm being real, he sounds like an asshole.

Eh... s'complicated. I've got a big family what with my parents, sister, niece and nephew, aunts and uncles, cousins... We Curlys are pretty widespread. As for starting one of my own, uh. Marriage never really happened. I doubt it was ever on the table to begin with, though I didn't realize it back then. Kids, maybe. Don't think I'd be the best at it though, whatever else my horde of unofficial children may claim. Mm, yeah... Environmental studies is fun! Lots of good things to learn there. He's focusing on Earth environment, I'm assuming? Hope that turns out well for Kestrel and his girlfriend. ...Thank you.

...

Huh? Fears? ...Oh. I didn't think you could— Sorry. I didn't think— someone else, uh, said that. Earlier that day. It isn't true what Rebh said, I know that. It wasn't you, it was me getting paranoid. Promise. I want you here, I do.

...I'm glad. I like hearing your stories. I want— I want to meet you and Kestrel too. I want to do all that.

Hah. Okay. I will, Mum.

...

Are you fucking serious right now?

Oh, come on. You're not real. You're not even one of them, are you? You're my own thoughts. Fuck off.

I'm trying to help you out here.

Yeah? How's that, fake Jimmy I made up just now?

Are you trying to play house or something? You need to get over yourself, Curls. You're a grown fucking man.

La la la. Not listening.

God, you're so— My parents were pieces of shit. But you? You had everything you wanted. You had real parents who loved you before you fucked off to space. And here you are. Trying to take a third from someone else.

Leave me alone, Imaginary Jim.

I'm imaginary because I'm you, idiot. These are your thoughts that you can't frame to yourself in a way that lets you keep living this fantasy. The truth is, Curly, she said it was a brief conversation for a reason. There's still friction there. You can feel it, right?

...Right. None of my business though. They'll work it out.

Yeah. They'll work it out. What do you think is going to happen when they do?

She said—

She said what? She'd never leave you? Like we said to each other? ...Lighten up. I'm not really him. We both know that. But Curly. Get real, yeah? "You see, son, I'm hearing a voice from a dying man lightyears away." The kid is never going to believe her. He'll think she's fucking insane. She'll have to choose between him and you. Some whiny bastard giving her nightmares or, you know, her real son.

...stop.

Won't bother telling you who she'll choose. You already know.

You're not even real oh my God leave me alone.

...Hey, Curly?

...Yeah?

Can the voices hear this?

Oh, fuck me...

Next time you're going to process your intrusive thoughts through me you should do it quieter. Just saying.

Yep.

[akaikali]

TMAGP SEASON 2 EP 1 REACTION (SPOILERS)

OH. OKAY. SO WE'RE PICKING UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SEASON 1 FINALE. OKAY THEN.

so its just colin's hand??? not his entire body??? i mean, clearly he's become part of the system, right? like im assuming he TURNED into a system, like wires for blood kind of situation???

gwen you absolutely infuriating woman please get fucked (literally) i think it would really do you some wonders. find someone to dom you please im asking nicely it would do you So Much Good

OH. HAND'S GONE. GREAT. COLIN GOT EATEN BY THE COMPUTER AND NOW THE ONLY PROOF THEY HAD OF THAT IS GONE. LOVELY.

OH. OKAY. OKAY WOW. SO. firstly, jmj=null??? its not .jmj error rn??? and also "extension BECHER" so yes colin is become part of the system. and im assume the computer recording we're hearing is from...inside of him or something.

CROWBAR. YOU'RE JOKING. THIS HAS TO BE ON PURPOSE. BRUTAL PIPE URDER VS BRUTAL CROWBAR MURDER. EXCEPT THE CROWBAR WAS KIND OF SELF MURDER.

oh. oh thats. thats fucked. this is so sergey ushanka coded. tessa winters how i miss you my autistic girl with a tech special interest <3

hmmm okay thats strange. "self.host errors resolved" but ".jmj error not resolved"? but also now its like. if what happened to colin happened to jmj and THATS why they're in the system...my poor babies. except for jonah. jonah fucking deserved that.

new administrator permissions assigned?? TO WHO???? COLIN HAD ADMIN PERMISSIONS BEFORE, WHO HAS THEM NOW???? I THINK WHOEVER IT IS PROBABLY HAS FREDDY'S TARGET ON THEM.

"it sounds like the system was...provoked" SHUT UP GWEN YOU ARE SO FRUSTRATING YOU ARE JUST LIKE UR PREDECESSOR (our dear jarchavist)

"no, no, i'm sure we can leave!...Um. Freddie. Can we leave?" gwen i fucking love you, you stupid fucking dumbass <3

so like i also wanna know what alice knows about lena because CLEARLY, she knows that lena would know how to deal with this. also slightly concerned that lena might be dead seeing as she had uh. no exit interview. the government might have just nerfed her.

gwen acting all tough and like she's in charge but immediately running after alice and going "wait, wait for me!" because she's scared of being alone with the murder computer is SO funny

HELLO????? SAM???? MY BOY MY POOR DEAR BOY ARE YOU GOOD?????? listen i know we have mixed opinions on sam but like. come on. the man still fought off the archivist to protect celia when it came after her.

repeated by something. why is that underlined in the transcript. are there...are there like tape recorder creatures. is that whats happening here.

celia. celia honey no. i know you've got a kid and everythin but like sam is NOT okay. my girl, you sacrificed him and used him. and on top of all of that, you've lied to alice about all of this. this is going to end so badly.

"i...recognized it from a case" celia honey i know you can lie better than that. come on. you know alice does NOT believe that.

OH. THATS NOT FUN. THE PHOTOCOPIER PRINTING COLIN'S FACE EVEN WHEN UNPLUGGED. YEAH THAT IS VERY VERY SERGEY UNSHANKA. LOVING THAT. but also honestly valid coping mechanism alice you gotta make the dark jokes or you will break down.

IM SORRY YOU HAVE TO WHISTLE SOMETHING HAPPY TO MAKE THE ECHO MONSTERS LEAVE??? AND SAM CHOOSES FUCKING CIRCUS MUSIC??? "Not circus music, you cretin!" PLEASE IM DYING THIS IS SO FUNNY okay greensleeves is somewhat better.

OH MY GOD ITS GEORGIE ITS WIFE SHE'S BACK I MISSED YOU MY GIRLLLL she's always here for celia i love her. i think she knows whats going on. vaguely.

"But I just want you to know I think things are looking up. All going well, this should be the last zero-notice call out" "We'll see" GEORGIE WHAT DO YOU KNOWWWWW

"i want a solicitor" oh honey :((( even after being dragged into another dimension he first asks for a lawyer. i don't know if that was intentional but with him clearly being a brown man :((((

GEORGIE???? SHE'S. WHAT. CAPTAIN OF THE WARDENS???? "lacks the military mannor one might expect" IS THIS OUR TMA GEORGIE???? WHAT??????????????

"you got a ride in Gertrude" A RIDE IN WHAT NOW???? ARE YOU TELLING ME THEY NAMED A FUCKING TANK OR SOMETHING AFTER GERTRUDE????? okay wait if this is TMA verse then melanie would be around and melanie knows about gerrtrude's explosives so that. checks out actually.

oh celia. celia your web of lies is going to come back to haunt you. i know you cant tell them but at the same time they are going to find out the truth eventually and alice might straight up chuck you into the "tear" herself.

"licensing issues?" alice i love you never change

"How convenient that your only proof is sat in an inbox I can’t read in case it tries to eat me." "It did not 'eat' Colin! The system just… responded to an attack." "By eating Colin." dyhard how i adore you.

OHHHH ARCHIVIST CREATURE FOLLOWED SAM WE KNEW THIS OFC FROM THE TRAILERRRR

okay so. wait. is. was heidi a watcher???? like when the eyepocalypse happened, was she touched by the eye? like she seems like what i would have expected to happen to someone like amy patel.

oh my god we're getting to find out what LONDON was like during the eyepocalypse. whatever the creatures that were hunting down georgie, melanie, and their little cult was. oh my god.

OKAY SO THIS IS DEF TMA-VERSE "Not when the tower fell and the eye closed. Not when the pupil collapsed and the Archivist died, his face still burned into my mind." BUT ALSO FUCK ME NOOOOO IS JARCHAVIST REALLY DEAD NOOO NO NO HE'S SOMEWHERE ELSE I AM IN DENIAL HE'S ELSEWHERE HE AND MARTIN ARE LIVING IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE HAPPY IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

oh heidi. bye bye heidi.

WOW WHAT A START TO THE SEASON. WE GOT SO MUCH. I HAVE NEVER SAID "WHAT THE FUCK" THIS MANY TIMES IN A ROW BEFORE. GERTRUDE IS A VEHICLE NOW. WHAT THE FUCK.

[thebramblewood]

A Very Vampiric Dinner Date, Part 3/3

Previous / Next

Featuring Artemisia and Kaspar by @pocketgnome!

With special appearances by Gunther Munch and Judith Ward (thank you to @its-opheliasgarden for that particularly inspired suggestion)!

Lilith: Come along. Oops, wrong room! Apologies!

Helena: Hey, wasn’t that-

Lilith: Multiple Starlight Accolade Award winner Judith Ward? She’s a regular, actually. Poor dear’s convinced weekly plasma infusions are an anti-aging breakthrough. She’ll do anything to get her fix.

-

Lilith: [to Gunther] Now, let's get you out of that hideous sweater vest. [to Helena] Your turn.

Helena: Sorry if this hurts.

Lilith: Trust me. This one likes it when it hurts.

[nosnexus]

Mentopolis's favorite Journalist!

[fidgetspringer-art]

✦ Linger ✦

[angeart]

elf scar for the assassin au~

alt under cut

[morninkim]

woman who wonders about many a thing

[shooks-stupid-stuff]

i've been saving a lot of palettes recently to use for doodles, and finally got around to doing one. despite being just. ASS at working with limited colors - like, 5 colors is HARD to work with, especially when you use one for lineart and make the lines too thick to make using that color again for coloring look good - i'm really happy with this!

...i did cheat a bit though with the lighter color around the star. it just looked like. kinda off without it though so it's fiiiine-

[sysig]

maybe you should doodle however many or few starcon/helix/damned characters as you like (in human or alien form) in cute halloween costumes! imagine... ZEX dressed up as Ariel thelittlemermaid...

Day 26 - "I hadn't realized humans also had aquatic subcultures!" "Oh, well, uhm..."